During weeks of speculation after the attractive young woman was first spotted standing beside North Korea's young new leader at a memorial event, she was identified as the lead singer of Bochonbo Electronic Music Band, Hyon Song-wol.

But a state television report on the opening ceremony of an amusement park yesterday suddenly identified the woman as Kim Jong-Un's wife - Ri Sol-ju.

The state broadcaster revealed no information about who Ri Sol-ju is, how long the pair have known each other, or even how long they have been married.

The couple were given a warm welcome, the official news agency said. "All the participants enthusiastically welcomed them, loudly shouting 'Hurrah!"', it reported.

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The chubby young Kim Jong-un physically resembles his late grandfather, who still commands great respect among some North Koreans for his past as an anti-Japanese guerrilla fighter and national founder.

A previous flame of Mr Kim's -singer Hyon Song-wol, whose popularity peaked with Excellent Horse-Like Lady in 2005, was earlier identified by South Korean intelligence agencies as the mystery woman appearing with the new leader at public events.

Hyon Song-wol is believed to have been romantically linked with Mr Kim at an elite school in Bern, Switzerland, a decade ago.

Their romance was frowned upon by Kim's late father, and the two were prevented from seeing each other.

Shortly after Hyon's popularity peaked, she suddenly disappeared from public life, with Japanese media reporting that she had married a North Korean Army officer after Kim Jong Il ordered his son to end the affair.

Speculation persists that Hyon Song-wol and Ri Sol-ju may be the same woman.

Mr Kim, believed to be in his late twenties, took over the nuclear-armed nation when his father Kim Jong-Il died last December. But the intensely secretive state had previously released no details of his private life.

A North Korea TV anchor woman said Kim toured an amusement park with his "wife, comrade Ri Sol-ju", but did not give any more details about Ri, including how long they had been married. Picture: AP / KRT TVSource: AP

The short-haired Ri Sol-ju was first shown with Jong-un during a concert in Pyongyang on July 6. She was seen walking next to the leader on July 8 when he visited the mausoleum of his grandfather and the nation's founder Kim Il-Sung.

On July 15, photos aired by state television showed her standing close to the new leader during a visit to a kindergarten.

With other officials staying a few steps behind the pair, the woman was seen smiling while standing immediately behind or next to Jong-un as he hugged and talked to children.

Ri Sol-ju is seen accompanying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, front centre, attending a ceremony to mark the completion of an amusement park facility built on Rungna islet in Pyongyang, North Korea. Picture: AP / KRT TVSource: AP

"We've obviously seen the reports," said US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland after North Korean state media confirmed Kim had wed.

"We would always wish any kind of newlyweds well as they embark" on married life, Ms Nuland told reporters, joking that the US had not been invited to the wedding.

Analysts say Mr Kim appears fully in charge of the nation, despite having had relatively little time to prepare for the succession.

The International Crisis Group think-tank said Mr Kim appears to be in charge in his own right despite speculation he would have to rely on close advisers.

But it said there was nothing to suggest the young leader would take measures to improve the lot of his people or reduce regional frictions.

Regional tensions have been high since the North launched a long-range rocket on April 13. It said the aim was to launch a peaceful satellite, while the United States and its allies saw a disguised ballistic missile test.

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